What’s drawing our hearts away from the Great I AM 🙏
Week 2 of journeying with my family and I as we explore Exodus 20 and reflect on the Ten Commandments. These commandments may be ancient, but their wisdom is just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.
We are discovering this together, as a family, one verse at a time.
Bible reading 📖
Esodo 20.4-5
Laulau ta basio koroa; ḡau ta laulauna, guba ḡauna ta, eiava tanobada ḡauna ta, tanobada henuna ḡauna ta, basio karaia: basio toma henia diho, bona isiaina basio lao heni. Badina be lau Iehova emu Dirava na vaḡeḡe Diravana: e inai henigumu taudia edia kara dika davadia na natudia bona tubudia latadiai baina kara ela bona uru ihatoina bona ihahanina,
Exodus 20:4-5 NIV
[4] “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. [5] You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Reflections 🙌
In March, our devotion turned to the second commandment found in Exodus 20:4:
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…”
—rendered in Motu as: “Laulau ta basio koroa…”
Yet as the story unfolds, we see how quickly the Israelites lost their focus. While Moses remained on Mount Sinai receiving the 10 commandments from God, the people grew restless and fashioned an idol for themselves. It is a sobering reflection of the human heart—how quickly patience fades, and how easily faith can give way to what feels immediate, visible, and within reach.
And are we not the same?
In the ancient world, idols were often physical—golden calves, carved images, and visible symbols of security and control. People turned to them for provision, protection, pleasure, and identity. But today, while the forms have changed, the pattern remains strikingly familiar.
What once stood as statues can now take shape in quieter, more subtle ways. Physical idols still remain, however others such as wealth and possessions can become our measure of security. Careers and achievements can begin to define our worth. Where people once trusted false gods for rain and provision, we may find ourselves trusting income, savings, or stability as our source of peace.
Pleasure, too, has always been a powerful pull. What once looked like feasting and indulgence now appears in endless entertainment, constant distraction, and the pursuit of comfort above all else. And just as people once placed their confidence in kings and empires, we can begin to rely solely on our own plans, control, and self-sufficiency—slowly drifting from dependence on God.
Even devotion itself can become misplaced. There were those who continued religious practices outwardly, yet their hearts were far from God. Today, it is possible to say the right things, attend church regularly, and still lack a true, surrendered relationship with God.
And then there is the quiet pressure of those around us. Just as the Israelites were influenced by the crowd, we too can be shaped by the desire for acceptance—seeking approval, fitting in, and compromising in ways we may not even notice at first.
The first and second commandments need no enhancement. They speak with clarity and authority: there is only one true God, and He alone is worthy of our worship. Simple in truth, yet challenging in practice.
Because idols are not always obvious. They are anything that slowly begin to take our attention, consume our time, and redirect our trust. They are the things we turn to first, depend on most, and struggle to lay down.
That’s where the second commandment—“Laulau ta basio koroa…”—becomes deeply personal.
Because in the end, it is not merely about what we build with our hands…
but about what we allow to take root within our hearts that draws us away from the Great I AM!
Proverbs 4:23 NIV
[23] Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
To God be the glory always ❤️🙏
Prayer 🙏
Heavenly Father,
grant us wisdom to worship You in truth,
courage to share Your good news,
and strength to resist the distractions of this world.
May Your Holy Spirit lead and guide us,
teaching us to love and serve You and others
before our own needs and desires.
Thank You, Father.
Thank You, Jesus.
Thank You, Holy Spirit.
Amen 🙏
Idau Hahine 